We Once Said I Love You

You once said I love you without force,
Without pain, without remorse,
What we had was special,
But the bitterness came,
First it was just arguing,
Behind locked doors, then in public.
***
I once said I love you without wincing,
Without a sigh, without rolling my eyes,
What we had felt right,
But the cruelty came,
And we drifted apart,
Lived separately, Then moved apart.
***
We once said I love you without spite,
Without sarcasm, Without venom,
What we had worked,
But what finally came,
And finally ended it,
Was sharp words, and harsher jibes.